Shepherd's Pie Tater Tot Casserole

A tater tot casserole with a serving spoon inside the dish.

Shepherd's Pie Tater Tot Casserole

Shepherd's Pie Tater Tot Casserole is a hearty ground beef casserole and a delicious twist to classic Shepherd's Pie. Ground beef and frozen vegetables simmer in a richly seasoned beef broth base, topped with crispy golden brown tater tots, and then finished off with shredded cheddar cheese.

Course Casserole, Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword shepherds pie tater tot casserole, shepherds pie with tater tots

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 436kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 yellow onion _{finely diced}
2 cloves garlic _{(minced or pressed, chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste)}
2 cups frozen mixed peas and carrots
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef until it's no longer pink. About 6-8 minutes.
1 lb ground beef
Add the finely diced onion and garlic cloves into the skillet and continue cooking, while stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. About 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat/grease from the pan if needed.
^{* You may need to turn down the heat to medium during this cook time to avoid burning the onion.}
1 yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic
Stir in the frozen peas and carrots, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer (a light boil).
2 cups frozen mixed peas and carrots, 1 cup beef broth, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over top of everything and stir to combine. Cook, while stirring, for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste and to thicken the mixture.
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Transfer the shepherd's pie mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer over the ground beef mixture, covering it completely with the tater tots.
1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the tater tots.
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tater tots are golden brown, crispy, and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Salt & Beef Broth : Adjust the amount of salt as needed depending on if you used reduced-sodium beef broth or regular beef broth. I like to use the 50% reduced beef broth and then the full 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. If you use regular beef broth then you may find that the full 1 teaspoon is too much, so use less if needed or preferred.

Nutrition